Information/Help Please

Hi, I have a Salida SL1900 Bench Mortiser Machine, I plan to make-up a feed to the Up & Down movement, instead of the fitted movable handle to the column, it has an X &Y movement travel in & out and table travel,.

The problem I have is the Fixed Motor Speed 50Hz 2850 rpm Single Phase 220-240 volts 1 hp.(750 watts)

Is it possible to use a commercial type 1000 watts Dimmer Switch to vary the speed, or is there another method of reducing the speed

Induction motor - no.

Brushed moter (commutator) - probably yes.

I expect it will be an induction motor, but the manufacturer should be able to advise.

Hi "Thanks" for your Help & Advise,it seems certain from your info that it is an Induction Motor, and therefore not possible to convert cheaply into a variable speed motor,my home made attachment showing a 1/2 end mill with support bush was ok for non ferrous metals like brass and aluminium were ok,but certainly not good for steels etc,.

May I again "Thankyou" for your time and advice, back to plan B and search out a cheap old type 3-4 speed belt driven vertical mill,. Regards Pete.

If you are side milling, the arrangement with a drilling chuck is not advised - any lateral thrust will tend to loosen the cutter. This is why Clarkson type, or ER, collet chucks are used for metal removal with milling machines, other than drilling.

A mortiser only drills out surplus timber leaving the outer square cutter to slice off the timber, to form the mortise.

The usual method of converting fixed speed drives (with only a single phase supply available) is to replace with a dual voltage three phase motor with a VFD for supply and control.

Further, the bearing at the drive end of the motor is designed for limited radial thrust (in normal use a mortiser will only experience axial thrust) and would likely be inadequate for the considerable lateral forces produced while milling metals.

There are very good reasons why people spend rather more to buy a milling machine (than a wood mortiser) for machining metals. If it worked satisfactorily, most would save a lot of money by buying the cheaper machine, would they not? Same with lathes - whilst some freehand metal cutting is undertaken, the normal metal lathe cutter is operated mechanically, not freehand as is the case with much wood turning. ‘Horses for courses’ is the order of the day!

The short answer is----NO. I have a wood mortiser somewhat similar,single phase induction motor,fixed speed. No easy way can that speed be changed,and even if you could change it,that machine would not be suitable for milling,for the reasons given by other Members. So,forget it !!